Cisco access point comparison
C9105AXI-E vs C9105AXW-E
C9105AXI-E is an indoor AP with a single 1G uplink. C9105AXW-E uses a wall-plate layout with a 2.5G uplink, three switched Gigabit LAN ports and a separate pass-through port. Both use 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 radios.
2models compared
34specs published for every model
14confirmed differences
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Key differences
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| Specification | C9105AXI-E | C9105AXW-E |
|---|---|---|
Antenna Design |
Internal omnidirectional antennas | Internal antennas |
Ethernet Uplink |
1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 PoE uplink | 1 x 100/1000/2500BASE-T multigigabit RJ-45 PoE uplink |
Wired LAN Downlink Ports |
Not applicable | 3 x 10/100/1000BASE-T LAN downlinks; LAN1 provides up to 10.5W PSE; 1 x passthrough port |
Maximum Power Draw at PD |
11 W | 13 W |
Product Type |
Cisco Catalyst 9105AXI indoor access point | Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW wall-plate access point |
2.4 GHz Antenna Gain |
4 dBi | 3 dBi |
Detailed comparison
Full specification comparison
| Comparison parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Product ID | C9105AXI-E | C9105AXW-E |
| Product and ordering | ||
| Product Type | Cisco Catalyst 9105AXI indoor access point | Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW wall-plate access point |
| Wireless radios and antennas | ||
| Wireless Standard | Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax; backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac) | Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax; backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac) |
| Radio Design | Dedicated dual-concurrent 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 2x2 radios | Dedicated dual-concurrent 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 2x2 radios |
| MIMO Profile | 2x2 MU-MIMO with two spatial streams | 2x2 MU-MIMO with two spatial streams |
| Spatial Streams | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum Aggregate PHY Rate | 1.488 Gbps | 1.488 Gbps |
| Antenna Design | Internal omnidirectional antennas | Internal antennas |
| 2.4 GHz Antenna Gain | 4 dBi | 3 dBi |
| 5 GHz Antenna Gain | 5 dBi | 5 dBi |
| External Antenna Connectors | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Ports and interfaces | ||
| Ethernet Uplink | 1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 PoE uplink | 1 x 100/1000/2500BASE-T multigigabit RJ-45 PoE uplink |
| Wired LAN Downlink Ports | Not applicable | 3 x 10/100/1000BASE-T LAN downlinks; LAN1 provides up to 10.5W PSE; 1 x passthrough port |
| Console Ports | 1 x RJ-45 management console | 1 x RJ-45 management console |
| USB Ports | Not applicable | 1 x USB 2.0 interface with 4.5W output budget |
| PoE and power | ||
| PoE Input Options | IEEE 802.3at PoE+, Cisco UPOE, AIR-PWRINJ6=, IEEE 802.3af PoE, or AIR-PWRINJ5= | IEEE 802.3at PoE+, Cisco UPOE, AIR-PWRINJ6=, IEEE 802.3af PoE, or AIR-PWRINJ5= |
| Maximum Power Draw at PD | 11 W | 13 W |
| PoE Feature Mode | 802.3af supports both 2x2 radios and 1G uplink operation | 802.3af disables USB and LAN1 PSE; 802.3at enables either USB or LAN1 PSE |
| 802.3af Feature Mode | Both radios operate at 2x2; Ethernet uplink operates at 1 Gbps | Both radios at 2x2 and 2.5G uplink; USB and LAN1 PSE disabled |
| 802.3at Feature Mode | Both radios operate at 2x2; Ethernet uplink operates at 1 Gbps | Both radios at 2x2 and 2.5G uplink; either USB or LAN1 PSE enabled |
| 802.3bt Feature Mode | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Configuration, licensing and management | ||
| Supported Controllers | Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series; Cisco 3504, 5520 and 8540; Cisco virtual WLC | Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series; Cisco 3504, 5520 and 8540; Cisco virtual WLC |
| Management Model | Controller-based CAPWAP or Embedded Wireless Controller capable platform | Controller-based CAPWAP or Embedded Wireless Controller capable platform |
| Deployment Model | Indoor controller-based or Embedded Wireless Controller deployment | Indoor controller-based or Embedded Wireless Controller deployment |
| Software Support | Cisco Unified Wireless Network 8.10 MR3 or later; Cisco IOS XE 17.3.1 or later | Cisco Unified Wireless Network 8.10 MR3 or later; Cisco IOS XE 17.3.1 or later |
| Regulatory Domain | -E regulatory domain; country approval must be verified | -E regulatory domain; country approval must be verified |
| Bluetooth / IoT Radio | Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy 5 radio | Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy 5 radio |
| WLAN Security | WPA3, WPA2, IEEE 802.1X, AES and supported EAP methods | WPA3, WPA2, IEEE 802.1X, AES and supported EAP methods |
| Memory and software | ||
| Operating System | Controller-managed Cisco wireless access-point software | Controller-managed Cisco wireless access-point software |
| Minimum Software Release | Cisco IOS XE 17.3.1 or Cisco Unified Wireless 8.10 MR3 | Cisco IOS XE 17.3.1 or Cisco Unified Wireless 8.10 MR3 |
| DRAM | Not published by Cisco | Not published by Cisco |
| Flash Memory | Not published by Cisco | Not published by Cisco |
| Physical and environmental | ||
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 30 × 150 × 150 mm | 32.66 × 90 × 160 mm |
| Weight | 0.33 kg | 0.373 kg |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 50 °C | 0 to 50 °C |
| Storage Temperature | -30 to 70 °C | -30 to 70 °C |
| Storage Humidity | Not published by Cisco | Not published by Cisco |
| Operating Humidity | 10% to 90% | 10% to 90% |
| Operating Altitude | Up to 3,000 m | Up to 3,000 m |
| MTBF | 653,568 hours | 701,904 hours |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime hardware warranty | Limited lifetime hardware warranty |
| Mounting | Ceiling mount with the purpose-designed bracket or desktop placement | Wall-plate mount |
Specifications from Cisco Catalyst 9105 Series Access Points Data Sheet (checked 2026-10-11).
“Not published by Cisco” and “Not listed” indicate that a confirmed direct comparison is unavailable. These rows are not counted as confirmed differences.
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